U.S. and Chinese Defense Chiefs Hold First In-Person Talks Since 2022

U.S. secretary of defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, met with his Chinese counterpart, Adm. Dong Jun, to discuss how to manage military tensions with their opposing positions on Taiwan and the South China Sea. A 75 minute meeting was conducted in Singapore between the two officials, following the travel of multiple Biden administration officials to Beijing to discuss trade imbalances, the technology trade, Chinese support for Russia in the Russia-Ukraine war, and other sources of tension. Mr. Austin and Admiral Dong discussed steps to prevent accidents or miscommunication from spiraling into conflict. Mr. Austin re-proposed for Chinese and U.S. military commanders to hold phone calls in the upcoming months. The two also discussed the convention of a crisis communications working group by the end of the year. Mr. Austin indicated that the U.S. would continue to send military ships and aircraft into international skies and seas near China, despite aggressive and reckless tailing by the Chinese military.